page_title: Liner lock
section_title: Construction
hierarchical_section_title: Liner lock / Construction
caption_attribution_description: Photo of several Linerlock knives created by knifemaker Michael Walker. Other information Photo was commissioned by Michael Walker for his business. Photo was produced/taken by Jim Cooper.
context_page_description: The Linerlock is a locking mechanism for folding pocket knives. A Linerlock is a folding knife with a side-spring lock that can be opened and closed with one hand without repositioning the knife in the hand. The lock is self-adjusting for wear. The modern Linerlock traces its lineage to the late 19th century, but in the 1980s the design was improved by American custom knifemaker Michael Walker.
context_section_description: Linerlock mechanisms are most commonly composed of titanium alloy or steel. The linerlock's locking side liner is split from the top toward the bottom, similar to an automotive leaf spring (also called a lock bar) that butts up against the tang of the blade to prevent the blade from closing. In an interview with Blade in 1988, Walker stated, “This long leaf-spring effect cuts down on stress on the locking mechanism". As the lock on the original electrician's knife was mostly to hold a screwdriver blade open (the knife blade, itself was secured by a slip joint method), Walker's refinements prevented the knife blade from closing on the user's hand and converted it into a true lock.
  To release the lock, the user presses the lock bar back toward the handle side, at which time the blade is free to close. In the closed position the lock bar (leaf spring) rests alongside the handle and the blade.
caption: Photo of Walker Linerlock knives with closeup of locking mechanism.
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